Louisiana-based indie band FIGHTs (which is an abbreviation for Formal Institute Of Great Hit Tunes) have released their debut full-length, titled Music For Villains, a follow-up to the 2012 EP, Summer Hits. The group is made up of two drummers (and occasionally a third), a bassist, and three members who handle synths and keyboards, all who are multi-talented and switch instruments from track to track on the LP, incorporating everything from fiddles to samples of spaceship noises.
Music For Villains contains nine tracks that tell a story about a “low-life” (as described by the artists) who wakes up hungover from a weekend trip and ends the day by being arrested. Though the story is a bit dark, the music tells it through bouncy beats and cheery, poppy melodies. One song that sticks out is “Lowdown Dirty Orphan,” which opens with warped and frantic electronic effects and an assortment of beeps as well as a catchy bassline, with a keyboard riff in the middle of the song. Its successor, “In Spades,” showcases the band’s drum section, which carries the track.
“Out There, Pt. 2” closes the album with a soft, melancholy piano, building up tension throughout the intro with the help of futuristic-sounding whistles and a drum pattern that has a tribal feel. This is perfect for a finale, tying together all of the pieces found throughout the disc. With its subject matter, arrangements, and electronically generated sounds, Music For Villains is a bizarre record. However, FIGHTs discover a way to make it work, finding a happy balance in eccentric indie pop.
In A Word: Quirky
